IV 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 865 

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1956 and celebrating the deep friendship between Hungary 

and the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016 

Mr. ROSS (for himself, Mr. HARRIS, Ms. KAPTUR, and Mr. RUSSELL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1956 and celebrating the 

deep friendship between Hungary and the United States. 

Whereas, on October 23, 1956, the people of Hungary rose 

up against Communist tyranny and Soviet occupation to 

defend their freedom and sovereignty; 

Whereas the United States gave moral support and encouragement to the people of Hungary in their struggle for 

freedom; 

Whereas, on October 23, 1956, Hungarian students organized a solidarity demonstration with the people of Poland and presented a 16-point list of demands, the first 

of which called for an end to Soviet occupation, thus beVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:02 Sep 14, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR865.IH HR865

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•HRES 865 IH 

ginning the first mass scale popular uprising against 

Communism behind the Iron Curtain; 

Whereas, on October 24, 1956, Soviet troops attacked the 

freedom fighters beginning an intense armed struggle 

that lasted for several months between the freedom fighters and the largest army in the world; 

Whereas for the first time under Soviet occupation anywhere, 

the Hungarian protesters demolished the hated Stalin 

statue shattering any remaining illusions about Communism globally; 

Whereas, on October 27, 1956, Imre Nagy formed a new government accepting the demands of the revolutionaries 

and the Hungarian Freedom Fighters halted the attacks 

of the Soviets, paving the way for Hungary to declare its 

independence from the Soviet bloc and reintroduce democratic multiparty pluralism; 

Whereas in reaction to the Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight President Eisenhower stated on October 31, 

1956, that ‘‘all the world has been watching dramatic 

events in Hungary where this brave people, as so often 

in the past, have offered their very lives for independence 

from foreign masters. Today, it appears, a new Hungary 

is rising from this struggle, a Hungary which we hope 

from our hearts will know full and free nationhood’’; 

Whereas, on November 4, 1956, the Soviet Union’s invasion 

of Hungary began anew with overwhelming force, brutally suppressing the democratic uprising and toppling 

the legitimate government; 

Whereas the events poignantly showed the truth that Communist power can only be maintained through brute oppression and violence; 


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Whereas 400 people were executed in the ensuing reprisals 

and over 21,000 were imprisoned; 

Whereas President Eisenhower called the acts a ‘‘brutal Soviet repression of the people of Hungary’’; 

Whereas the United States Embassy sheltered Cardinal 

Jo ́zsef Mindszenty, head of the Roman Catholic Church 

in Hungary and an uncompromised moral leader of resistance to Communism for 30 years; 

Whereas the United States, recognizing that several thousand 

freedom fighters were imprisoned and tortured following 

the Revolution, pursued a concerted and determined policy effort over many years to demand the release of these 

freedom fighters from imprisonment, thanks to which effort many thousand freedom fighters were ultimately released and could regain their freedom; 

Whereas tens of thousands of Hungarians fleeing persecution 

found a new home in the United States strengthening existing and creating new bonds between the people of 

Hungary and the United States based on the strongest 

and most noble value of humankind, that of love of freedom; 

Whereas the brutality of the oppression could temporarily 

halt the advance of freedom, but the Hungarian freedom 

fighters won the admiration of the world; and 

Whereas after 1956, Communism became morally untenable 

and the Hungarian revolution inspired the 1968 Czechoslovak Spring of Freedom and the 1980 Polish march for 

freedom, thus started the dismantling and the eventual 

defeat of Communist tyranny worldwide: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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1 (1) celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Hun2 garian Revolution and Freedom Fight of 1956 and 

3 values the opportunity to remember the historic 

4 events with many of the Hungarian heroes of the 

5 time still with us today; 

6 (2) honors the determination, courage, and sac7 rifice of the people of Hungary, who rose up to fight 

8 for what they believed in, advancing the cause of 

9 freedom in Hungary, Central Europe, and beyond; 

10 (3) underlines the strong bonds between Hun11 gary and the United Stated based on our most ele12 vating and common values, love of freedom, and an 

13 unquenchable thirst for liberty; 

14 (4) recognizes the importance of the alliance be15 tween the United States and Hungary in— 

16 (A) common security and defense; 

17 (B) an enduring shared commitment to18 ward our shared values; and 

19 (C) promoting peace and shared pros20 perity; 

21 (5) expresses appreciation for the commitment 

22 of the people of Hungary to democratic ideals and 

23 a Europe whole and free; and 

24 (6) reaffirms the deep and historical friendship 

25 between the people of Hungary and the United 


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1 States based on the most powerful and most noble 

2 value of humankind, the love of freedom. 

Æ 


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